Sunday Roast - Sides

toshj

toshj

toshj

Soldato
Joined
11 Aug 2009
Posts
3,888
Location
KT8
Right, I need help and inspiration for side dishes for a Sunday Roast. I'm cooking for 8 people on Sunday - most I've previously cooked for is 4! - so having to think about what best to add to the main.

I've picked up the meat already, which will be done to medium-rare (hopefully) - spoke to the butcher and he said to do it at 220-230 degrees for 20 minutes, and then bring it down to 180 degrees for an hour. Does that sound about right? It's about 2.75kg.

20130228_1807471024x768_zpsd5008b87.jpg

Anyway, I've been told I'm doing dauphinoise as one of the sides, but need at least two further dishes and I'm a little stuck. With a piece of meat like that, and something quite rich like Dauphinoise, I'm aiming for something not too OTT and pretty basic. At the same time, I'd rather stay away from anything too boring... If that make's sense? Thinking kale?

Also, if anyone could recommend a decent white wine I'd be very grateful. Got all the red sorted out, but a couple of people coming are white drinkers and I'm at a loss wat to get them.

Any suggestions would be appreciated :)
 
Asparagus or purple sprouting broccoli would be my choices...mostly because I love them both :p

Can't comment exactly for the cooking time of your joint (which looks amazing btw) but make sure you give it a *lot* of time to rest. I'd recommend at least 45 minutes resting time. Keep it wrapped in foil and on something relatively warm so it retains heat.
 
Any roast is not co plate without roast potatoes, roast parsnips, roast butternut squash, Yorkshire pud and mint sauce, both of those last ones regardless of meat. Mint sauce on roast potatoes is heavenly.

Braised red cabbage can cut richness
Ratatoulli is a slowly odd but good dish
Sprouting brocoli is a veg of the Gods
I also love swede mash
 
Last edited:
Glaucus said:
I also love swede mash
Click to expand...

I mash swede and carrots together with a little butter and a dash of black pepper - awesome.

OldCoals said:
You can go wrong with cauliflower, it is in season too.
Click to expand...

Cauliflower cheese as a side can work quite well.


Large Open cup mushrooms - drizzled with oil and then slow roasted seem to go down a treat as well.
 
Some roasted sweet potatoes either in wedges or normal roast pieces i think would be nice and a bit different from normal tates.
 
Rotty said:
2.75kg of bone in rib sounds a bit short for 8 foks

then again maybe I am just a gready sod :p
Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought this too when buying it. I've had a 2.3kg two bone joint from them before and that fed 5 with a fair bit left over, but when I bought it today I said it needed to feed 9 and he suggested that amount. It works out at 300g per person, but the bones are actually relatively small.

We're also doing two massive dishes of Daupinoise, 1kg of carrots and we've settled on shredded sprouts and lardons. Plus desert - so plates should be piled quite high.

Also worth noting that 5 of the 8 are ladies with modest appetites.

Starting things off with pints of Hawksmoor Ginger Brew :)
 
If I were you, I'd cover the meat (especially the fat) with a paste of maple syrup and english mustard powder, and then seal it in a hot pan before putting it in the oven. This will help keep it moist (although you still want to baste regularly), and also give a deep richness to the gravy.

Also add onion, leek and carrot to the roasting dish even if you are not going to serve them, again it makes the gravy much better.

To make a really good gravy without any messing with flour or gravy granules..

Pour excess fat from the roasting dish (after removing the meat and veg).
Remove any excessively burnt bits.
Heat on the stove until nearly smoking
Pour in the water you boiled/blanched the potatoes in (This is seasoned starch water, much easier than messing with flour).
Simmer and then transfer to a pan when all the goodness has been de-glazed from the roasting dish.
 
HazardO said:
If I were you, I'd cover the meat (especially the fat) with a paste of maple syrup and english mustard powder, and then seal it in a hot pan before putting it in the oven. This will help keep it moist (although you still want to baste regularly), and also give a deep richness to the gravy.

Also add onion, leek and carrot to the roasting dish even if you are not going to serve them, again it makes the gravy much better.

To make a really good gravy without any messing with flour or gravy granules..

Pour excess fat from the roasting dish (after removing the meat and veg).
Remove any excessively burnt bits.
Heat on the stove until nearly smoking
Pour in the water you boiled/blanched the potatoes in (This is seasoned starch water, much easier than messing with flour).
Simmer and then transfer to a pan when all the goodness has been de-glazed from the roasting dish.
Click to expand...

Searing the outside of the joint is good from a developing flavours point of view but it doesn't seal the meat or 'keep it moist'.

I'm just being pedantic but it can be important to know the difference :)
 
FrenchTart said:
Agreed there. Maillard reaction flavours are awesome :)
Click to expand...

One of the guests is allergic to mustard... and also avoids garlic. I only found this out last night!

The meat is likely to be salted amd peppered, but little else I imagine. I tend to avoid filling the roasting tin with veg when cooking beef. Happy to do so with other meats, but I tend to prefer beef the same way as I prefer steak - salted but not overly seasoned with other things, particularly when having quite rich sides.

Last few times I cooked this joint to medium rare it came out very moist - I went to a butchery class at the butchers where I picked up this cut, and they took us through roasting cote de boeuf and fore fib (as well as how to take apart a cow!). Both cuts came out amazingly despite the lack of additional seasoning.

Never cooked for this many people though so I'm sure there are plenty of things that'll go wrong! :)
 
Caramelising the outside of the beef isn't really seasoning it :p But I take your point about the rest.

To be honest I agree with you regarding going crazy with additional flavours when using a nice cut like rib. For cheaper cuts I am far more pro adding more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom